Over 100 Taps are Flowing at the New Yard House in Moorestown

If you want to stop for a beer, or maybe 110 of them, while shopping at the Moorestown Mall in New Jersey, you’re luck. The recently opened Yard House boasts 110 rotating taps flowing with beers from around the world and is the most recent of the chain that has 60 restaurants in 23 states.

We stopped into Yard House during happy hour just a few days before Christmas. The unseasonably warm temperatures gave us the opportunity to see both the inside bar and the outside patio, with more than 30 seats that encircle the restaurant, in action. Overhead heat lamps kept what little chill there was in the air away from those outside, but we chose to sit inside in view of the very packed bar where the 110 taps, with an impressive number dedicated to local breweries, lined each side.

“The local beers sell well,” said general manager JT Taylor, “and Dogfish 90 Minute IPA is probably our best seller.” Other local brewers that some of the taps are dedicated to include Carton Brewing, Cricket Hill, Evil Genius, Flying Fish, Forgotten Boardwalk, Free Will, Lancaster, Neshaminy Creek, New Jersey Beer Co., Philadelphia Brewing, Spellbound Brewing, Troegs, Victory, Weyerbacher, and Yards Brewing - which is not any way affiliated with Yard House, but customers sometimes think it is.

In addition to taps dedicated to local breweries, five handles are reserved for the restaurant’s Chalkboard Series, a selection of small, limited releases from mostly craft brewers that rotate monthly keeping the selection “innovative and fresh.” They are located on a digital chalkboard displayed above the island bar.

All beers are kept in the glass-enclosed keg room, one of Yard House’s signature features. It’s kept at a consistent temperature ranging from 34 to 36 degrees Fahrenheit, and five miles of individual beer lines encased in stainless steel carry the beer to the bar.

The extensive beer menu is divided into categories mainly based on flavor profiles: cider/seasonal, fruit/wild ales, malty/balanced, hoppy/floral, strong/dark, light/easy, wheat/wit/weiss, dark/roasted, strong/spiced, blends, and bottles. While craft beer aficionados will understand that not all beers fit into these neat categories, those without an extensive craft beer knowledge will appreciate some sort of method of getting a handle on over 100 different beers.

Plenty of standard cocktails, including a flavored martini selection, specialty drinks, beer cocktails, sparkling cocktails, Fresh & Skinny™ cocktails, and a selection of mules, are on the drinks menu, too. The wine list is nice with a recognizable list of varietals by the glass - plenty of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Grigio for those who would prefer a glass or red or white. Sake rounds out the non-beer selections at Yard House.

The full menu features American favorites with some globally-inspired flavors and includes small bites, salads, grilled burgers, seafood, steak, and ribs, plus gluten-sensitive and vegetarian options.

Happy Hour takes place Monday through Friday from 3–6 PM and Sunday through Wednesday from 10 PM until closing. During Happy Hour, domestic drafts and well drinks are $1 off, craft and import pints and goblets are $2 off, and domestic half yards are also $2 off.

Specialty drinks, Fresh & Skinny™cocktails, beer cocktails, mules premium spirits, and wines by the glass are also $2 off during Happy Hour. Martinis are $3 off and craft and import half yards are $4 off.

Happy hour bites include a selection of full portion appetizers that run from $5–$8. When they say full-portion, they mean it. Our $7 plate of Chicken Nachos could have easily been an appetizers for four people.

The servers are Yard House are youthful, enthusiastic, and friendly. During training, they sampled almost everything on the food menu and can help diners weed through the extensive offerings. For knowledge of the drinks, you’re better off sitting at the bar where the bartenders have a greater understanding of the offerings, since many servers haven’t had the opportunity to sample a lot of the bar menu in the three short weeks the restaurant has been open.